I rarely eat spaghetti, but with a jar of anchovies and jamon serrano in the fridge, I began craving for a pesto sauce that would go perfectly with spaghetti. This beautiful sauce is bursting with fresh herby flavour and it brings forth the taste of summer evenings! I just love anchovies, but even if you aren’t quite fond of them, you cannot separate the flavour, they just give a salty texture to the background just like in a ceaser dressing. The sauce has a kick of garlic and freshness from the lemon juice, spinach and peas. The pine nuts and parmesan cheese add a degree of creaminess and the spaghetti is topped off with slices of mature jamon serrano, baby arugula and more fresh summer peas. This dish is super easy to prepare as the pesto can be made in advance. If you prefer a carb free meal, toss some seasonal veggies in the pesto instead of the spaghetti alongside a steamed fish or use it as a dressing for a salad.

Home-made pesto

2 cups spinach

1 cup fresh basil

1 garlic clove

3 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 anchovies

1 cup parmesan

lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh peas

1/2 cup pine nuts

pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender, add a bit of cold water if the consistency is too dry. Taste to check the salt

Directions

Cook the spaghetti. Once ready and still piping hot, toss around in the pesto sauce and add in some more fresh peas. Ready to plate: Garnish with jamon serano slices, ground black pepper, baby arugula sprouts and a drizzle of olive oil.